Safety clip



Oct 16, 1945. J.'L. MANCINI SAFETY CLIP Filed June 8, I944 .Gttomegs Patented Oct. 16, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY CLIP Joseph L. Mancini, Baltimore, Md., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationJune 8, 1944, Serial No. 539,301

2 Claims. ((31. 855) Figure 1 is a perspective view of the clip applied to two superimposed sheets of metal.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the clip applied to two sheets of metal and showing the pin-type.

of tOol in the operative position to release or apply the clip.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the tool released and the clip in position to hold the sheets of metal together.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional detailed view through the center of the clip and showing the released position of the plunger and pilot in dotted outline.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional detailed view substantiall on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an expanded view of the upper end of one of the plunger halves and the key and pin to hold the plunger halves together.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 2 indicates the clip as a whole. In its applied position, the clip is adapted to hold two or more sheets 4 and 6 together while the operator or workman applies rivets to the mated openings 8 in the sheets of metal.

Referring to Figure 4, the clip comprises the outer housing I 0 which includes the cap I2 secured to the housing In by means of the flanges I4 and I6 and the solder l8. Inside the housing there is the outer compression coil spring which rests at its lower end against the bottom of the housing and at its upper end it rests against a flange on a retainer 22.

The retainer 22 has a recess 24 and in the recess there is adapted to be received the head 26 of a plunger 28. The plunger 28 passes through an opening in the bottom of the recess and is formed into two halves 30 and 32, and these two halves are secured together at the head 26 by means of a key 34 and a pin 36 passing through an opening 38 in the key and being received in recesses 40 in the plunger halves 30 and 32. The lower ends of the plunger halves 30 and 32 project through an opening 42 in the bottom wall of the housing and are spread apart by means of a pilot or spreader 44. Outside. the housing In the plunger halves 3i] and 32 are provided with the head portions 46 and 48 which together with the spreader 44 therebetween form a head indicated as a whole at 50.

The head 50 prevents the plunger 28 from being retracted by the spring 20 into the housing through the opening 42,

The pilot or spreader 44 has lateral extensions or shoulders 52 at its upper part and between the extension 52 and the end of the retainer 22 acoil spring 54 is received. This spring is weaker than the spring 20, is not under compression in the position of Figure 4, andforces the pilot 44 out of the opening 42 in a ratio of 2:1 with reference to the distance the spring 26 forces the plunger 28 outwardly. o

On the lower side of the extension 52 and between the extension and the bottom of the housing I 0, a third coil spring 56 is positioned. This spring 56 is weaker than the spring 54 and retracts the pilot or spreader 44 into the housing.

At the upper part of the housing an inwardly directed flange 58 defines an opening at the top of the housing, and in this opening there is adapted to be received the pin 60 of a tool 62 in the form of a pair of pliers. The tool has a fork 64 which is adapted to straddle the clip and be received under the flange l4 on the housing. By pressing the handles 66 of the pliers together, pin 60 will force the retainer 22 downwardly in the housing (when viewing Figure 4) and compress the springs 20, 54 and 56. In this position of the parts the head 50 will assume the dotted line position shown in Figure 4. The spring 54 is stronger than the spring 56 to cause the pilot 44 to be pushed part-Way from the opening 42 to make a stiffer locating pin. In the dotted line position of the head 50 in Figure 4, the head halves '46 and 48 can approach each other to enable the head 50 to be inserted through an opening such as 8 in the sheets of metal, and when the head 50 has been inserted through the opening and the tool released to the position shown in Figure 3, the spring 20 will force the retainer 22 to the full line position shown in Figure 4, while the spring 56 will move the pilot or spreader 44 upwardly to the full line position shown. The head halves 46 and 48 will therefore be spread or forced apart by the spreader 44 and caused to grip the edge of the opening on the opposite side of the metal sheets 4 and 6 as shown in Figure 3, temporarily to hold the sheets together.

When it is desired. to release the clip, the operator will apply the pliers as shown in Figure 2, and while the pin 69 has compressed the spring 20 the clip can be bodily lifted from the opening to enable a rivet to be applied therein.

It is obvious that as many clips as are neces- The clip of the invention has the advantage of having the parts inclosed in a housing and of being much shorter than clips used for'siniilar purposes. This shortness of the-clip enables the riveting mechanism to operatemore freely, i. without interference by the clip. i

1. In a clip for temporarily fastening two sheets of metal together, a housing having openings in both ends, a plunger in the housing pro-- jecting from one end thereof, a retainer secured to said plunger in the housing, a coil spring in the housing between one end thereof and the retainer and constantly urging the plunger in-. wardly of the housing, said plunger being formed of two parts, a spreader between the parts, an extension on the end of the spreader, a coil spring in the housing-between the extension and the retainer, a coil spring in the housing between the extension and the end of the housing, and a head on the projecting end, of said plunger outside the housing, said retainer adapted to be pushed inwardly of the, housing to force the headed end of the plunger away from the housing and away from the spreader therebetween to enable the halves of the plunger outside the hens-- ing to approach each other, to enable the head to be inserted in matingopenings in two overlapping 40 sheets of metal the releaseof said retainer ca lsing the two-part head to be drawn toward the housing by the first mentioned spring and to be spread by the spreader, thereby causing the head to be retained on the side of the sheets opposite that to which the clip is applied temporarily to hold the sheets together.

2. In a clip for temporarily fastening two sheets of metal. together, a housing having openings in both ends, a plunger in the housing projectin from one end thereof, a retainer secured to said plunger in the housing, a coil spring in 1 the housing between one end thereof and the retainer and constantly urging the plunger inwardly of the housing, said plunger being formed 'of two parts, a. spreader between the parts, an

extension on' the end of the spreader, a coil spring in the housing between the extension and the retainer, a-coil spring in the housing between the extension and the end of the housing, and a head on the projecting end of said plunger outside the housing, said retainer adapted to be pushed inwardly of. the housing to force the headed end ofthe plunger away from the housing and away from the spreader therebetween to enable thehalves of the plunger outside the housing to approach eachother to enable the head to be insertedin mating openings in two overlapping sheets of metal, the release of said re tainer causing the two-part head to be drawn toward the housing by the first mentioned spring and to be spread by the spreader, thereby causing the head to be retained onvth side of the sheets opposite that to which the clip is applied temporarily to hold the sheets together, said third mentioned spring being weaker than the second mentioned spring to enable the said second spring to force the spreader partway out of the housing when the retainer is pushed inwardly of the housing.

JOSEPH L. MANCINI. 

